Additional personnel: Tracey Thorn (vocals); Chris Tomlin, Sally Hebert (violin); Sue Dench (viola); Audrey Riley (cello); Dean B. Speedwell (organ, keyboards); Bernard Clarke (organ); Jacques Loussier (Prophet synthesizer); Anna Di Silva (background vocals).

Producers: Mark Wallis, John Brand, Richard Preston, Robert Andrews, Colin Fairley.

Recorded between 1982 and 1988. Includes liner notes by Robert Forster.

Recording information: Berry Street Studio, London, England (1982-1988); Camden, Lo (1982-1988); ICC Studios, Eastbourne, Sussex, England (1982-1988); Miraval Studio, France (1982-1988); Studios 301, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (1982-1988).

BELLAVISTA TERRACE (1999) compiles tracks from five of the six pre-2000 Go-Betweens albums (the odd one out is 1982's SEND ME A LULLABY) and, given the fact that very nearly everything that the band recorded is equally good, the only problem that anyone could have is the omission of tracks having a personal resonance with the listener. For example, while one might want a Go-Be's retrospective to include, say, "Love Is a Sign," one would be hard pressed to think of which of the collected tracks ought to be removed in its favor.

All of the tracks here are notable in one way or another, but among the best are "Cattle and Cane," exploring memory and aging; "Bye Bye Pride," which poses a hopeful future for its narrator; and "Dive for Your Memory," which looks at redemption in loss. Hidden at the end of some copies of the disc is an ode to actress Lee Remick--from the band's first single--showing their funny side. Completists will need to find the limited-edition version of the album, which includes a second CD of 13 acoustic and electric tracks recorded "live in the studio" for a California radio station in the late 1980s.

Not quite as comprehensive or well-chosen as the earlier (and now out-of-print) 1978-1990 retrospective, Bellavista Terrace is nevertheless a fine introduction to the Go-Betweens' enduring brilliance. As Robert Forster's liner notes point out with painful accuracy, this 14-track compilation could scarcely be called a greatest-hits collection as none of the band's singles actually charted, a mystery which has only deepened with the passing years -- that perfect pop confections like "Head Full of Steam," "Bye Bye Pride," and the sublime "Streets of Your Town" could fail to reach an audience is a crime. ("...Anyway, we were too good for the bloody charts," Forster continues -- damn right.) There is consolation to be had in that these songs all sound as good today as when they first appeared -- if the Go-Betweens' refusal to bow to current trends was a liability during their own era, that same timelessness is their music's greatest strength in the here-and-now. [This special edition includes a bonus disc.] ~ Jason Ankeny